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A few questions before AC/Heater install

I have a few questions. The bid was made at least 10 weeks ago.
Should I just call the installer and say "Go" or go over what we discussed
and is in the contract, one more time?

Also, all 3 contractors who are major players in my area didn't do any J calculations. They just sized it up visually. After reading a poster here
who is in my area and went with a 1.5 ton, he said his AC worked a bit too
hard on a really hot day. The installer I'm going with suggests a 2 ton.

I'm going with that, as my condo is an upper unit above 2 garages. That's what he recommended. The heat really rises.

Another thing, I'm a smoker whose trying to quit, and my unit does not vent out my cooking fumes to the roof. Should I get up and take off a register
and wipe it to see what accumulation of smoke and cooking fumes there are?
I hear that it's almost the same to replace the duct work in my small unit as it is to have them cleaned (which wouldn't remove smoke in the first place).
That is..have the duct work replaced while they are there in the attic.

I'm going with a Carrier 38HDR on my entry patio, and a Carrier Performance series for the heater. Also, I'm having a Honeywell electrostatic air cleaner installed. I'm locked into the 38HDR as that is what is in my HOA proposal, and I want that slim line unit anyways.

I even downloaded a .pdf of the install manual for the AC. I hope they follow all the procedures in that .pdf, even tho I bet most installers don't. (runnng final tests, etc).

I'm in San Diego, and the contractor is Avalanche Mechanical.

Edit: I did a crude computer calculation for my 887 sq. ft. The result was 1.8 ton, hehe.
I think that's why I should go with a 2 ton? The heat is really retained in my condo.

Electrostatic air filters are very restrictive. They slow down air flow. They should also be cleaned every 30 days.

I have 2 Freidrich $440 floor model electrostatic air cleaners that I already clean out once a month. No biggie. I'm concerned about air flow restriction with
the AC Honeywell. Can you expand on your reply? A serious air flow restriction resulting in noise or what?

Also, I WILL take off a register and wipe the duct with some cleaner to check the build up.

If you have a 1.5 ton system in the condo now, do not have a 2 ton system put in. Your ducting will have been sized for what you have now and increasing capacity will only create problems.

You say that; "a poster here who is in my area and went with a 1.5 ton, he said his AC worked a bit too hard on a really hot day." Just what does this mean? Even if the system operated 24/7, if it maintained the desired temperature, it was not working too hard.

If you have a 1.5 ton system in the condo now, do not have a 2 ton system put in. Your ducting will have been sized for what you have now and increasing capacity will only create problems.

You say that; "a poster here who is in my area and went with a 1.5 ton, he said his AC worked a bit too hard on a really hot day." Just what does this mean? Even if the system operated 24/7, if it maintained the desired temperature, it was not working too hard.

No AC has been installed here, ever. As for that other poster, he was a bit concerned because his AC struggled to keep his same sq. ft condo as mine at
77 degrees. Granted it was 94 F outside. He's having that checked out.
He bought a York. He also said it was during a 2 hour period that his AC
didn't go below 77F.

So, now...if I've never had an AC in my unit, are you saying that a 2 ton will cause problems?

I fully understand that an AC that constantly kicks off and on uses more juice than a unit that runs steadily. I got that from this forum. But like I said in my above post...my unit retains heat. It got down to 62F at midnight last night, the high that day was only 75F. At midnight, my condo was still at 80F. Do you still recommend I reconsider and go 1.5 instead of 2 ton?
I know there's not enough facts for you to answer fully.

Could cause coil to freeze on low load days. Could cause damage to the compressor if it restricts air flow too much.

Great...anyone else wanna concur..lol. I can always have the cleaner installed and yank out the electrostatic Honeywell part if I wanted to. If you know about filters, the electrostatic metal part is not that retrictive. I know because it's going to be basically the same Honeywell electrostatic metal part as what I have in my 2 Friedich air cleaners right now. They aren't that restrictive.

From previous replies to this question month ago, noone else seemed to think it was a concern. Are you saying that since my sq. footage is so small, it might be a problem? Or are you making a blanket statement about all such cleaners?

No offence. But with the few replies I've gotten, they represent a tiny percentage of possible replies. Again, no offense...but I'm just going to have to go with my own judgement.
Your reply is almost alarmist with very little to back it up.

with his statement regarding the EAC he might have thought you had one of those already charged types you purchase from a store that are the same size of regular filters the 1" type. A regular EAC should not hinder your Static.